Modernizing for Comfort and Control
Goshen Community Schools oversees ten buildings—including elementary, middle, high schools, and administrative centers—in Goshen, Indiana. Many of these facilities had aging mechanical systems, outdated lighting, inefficient roofing, and manual controls that made classrooms noisy, uncomfortable, and hard to manage for teachers and staff.
Motivated to create environments where students could thrive, Goshen’s leadership secured zero-interest Qualified School Construction Bonds in 2009. They embarked on a multi-phase, district-wide energy and facility improvement journey, setting out to eliminate outdated equipment and controls, improve indoor air quality and comfort, lower utility and maintenance costs, and enhance learning environments across all schools.
Following three phases of renovation and controls work with Performance Services, the school corporation has classroom environments conducive to learning and no longer needs to manually operate controls to reduce noise levels and room temperatures.
Increasing Impact with a District-Wide Facility Master Plan
After the initial three phases were successful, Goshen Community Schools returned to Performance Services to complete a district-wide facility master plan that examined the district’s needs for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and roof improvements. This plan led to additional project phases focused on upgrading the district’s energy systems to make them more efficient and reduce energy costs, including a solar project in 2020.
Energy Conservation Measures Implemented
Temperature Control
- Installed new air handling units with digital controls at Chandler Elementary School, West Goshen Elementary School, and Goshen High School
- Upgraded cooling systems to new refrigerants, removing obsolete systems from air handling units
- A web-based controls system maintains temperatures within 1 degree of the set point
- Chiller replacement, pump replacement, central plant upgrades, and fan coil units installed at Goshen High School
- Domestic hot water heaters installed at Model Elementary School, Parkside Elementary School, Prairie View Elementary School, Waterford Elementary School, and West Goshen Elementary School
Indoor Air Quality
- CO2 levels measured to ensure levels are below 1000 PPM with outside air dampers at the minimum position
- Installed variable speed drives on single zone units
Lighting
- Light fixtures and mounted motion sensors, and power packs provide energy-efficient lighting controls
- LED lighting upgrades at Goshen High School, Goshen Middle School, Chandler Elementary School, and Parkside Elementary School
Building Envelope
- New dual-pane windows installed to optimize thermal comfort and energy efficiency
- Roof replacement at Goshen Administration Center
- New windows at Chandler Elementary School
Energy Efficiency
- High efficiency condensing boilers installation, as well as a new water-cooled chiller and cooling tower
- Controls upgrade on the central plant and HVAC systems
- New rooftop unit installed at Goshen Administration Center
Solar Power
- 2 ground-mount solar arrays at Model Elementary School and Prairie View Elementary School
- 795 kW total size
- Energized in 2020
The Results
As a result of the performance contracting projects, the District’s facilities are better equipped to support student focus and success. They have comfortable, quiet, climate-controlled classrooms that are no longer reliant on teachers’ manual adjustments. Additionally, the District has achieved $1,791,958 in annual guaranteed and operational savings.
